For All Fraternity
by misa1
Summary: Jack and Sally's baby twins are almost 10 years old now. One has inherited his father's genius for terror, while the other, not so much. But everyone has a strength...
1. Two Princes

  
  
Author's note:  


Thanks to everyone for the awesome and thoughtful reviews for "Diagnoses." As per usual, all disclaimers apply, I am just a lowly fan. Thanks for reading.

  
  


For All Fraternity  


  
  
"Two paths diverge in a yellow wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference to me."  
---------Robert Frost 

Unknown to almost everyone but the occupants of Skellington Manor, a network of stone tunnels meandered below the house. They twisted within the rocky hillside like worms. Meters below the surface, the princes of Halloween sped through passages, chasing one another in the damp blackness. Jack jr. screeched with undead fury. He stretched his bone-thin frame across the floor, adopting a spider-like posture before clambering up a wall and across the curved ceiling. Jack's brother Nicholas followed suit. The twins spiraled down a corridor before releasing grip from the stone and flipping through the air. Out of breath, they tumbled joyously into a warm, fire-lit chamber.

"Hiiiiiiiiiii Mom!", Jack jr. sang. He brushed dust from his slacks. Sally Skellington paused from hanging laundry. She smiled at her sons.

"Please be careful both of you. ...and stay out of your father's wine-cellar! If you break those bottles he'll have your skulls!"

Nicholas finally caught his breath. He tugged at their mother's hand.

"C'mon! Play with us!"

Jack jr. nodded enthusiastically and took hold of their mother's other hand. She smiled, but shook her head. The twins sulked dramatically, slumping against her. At not quite ten years old, they already came up to their mother's shoulders. She was taller than average herself, but knew it would be no time at all before the boys would tower over her.

"I can't see in the dark like you two. That's from your father.", Sally laughed. She tickled her sons and they giggled before speeding off into the darkness once again. The queen watched them disappear. Their screams and howls echoed long after they had vanished from view.

It didn't seem so long ago that the Skellington twins had been babies. Tiny babies who spent most of their days snuggled tightly against their mother. Jack did his best to divide the workload, but in those first months clearly they were happier with Sally. She became used to them as if they were a part of her own body. It all went so very quickly. Soon they began to crawl. Not slowly like human babies, but with sudden, surprising agility. It was at that point their personalities diverged and Halloweentown found itself with two very different princes.

"What do you think Mama sees when she's in the dark?", Jack jr. asked thoughtfully. The brothers had taken a break from acrobatics. They sat in cool darkness, leaning against the stone wall. Nicholas shrugged.

"I don't know.", he said. "I don't think she can see anything at all. Like when you close your eyes."

Jack jr. closed his eye sockets. Blackness. How could someone get by without seeing in the dark? It seemed a great disability. No wonder their mother didn't come down into the passageways unless father was with her.

"We see in the dark 'cuz of Dad.", Nicholas finished.

His twin nodded.

"Yep. I'm gonna be just like Dad when I'm grown up." To emphasize his point Jack jr. released a chilling shriek.

Nicholas nodded in agreement.

"Me too. I'll be just like Dad."

His voice trailed off somewhat. He wasn't as confident as his brother. They did both look much more like their father than their mother. In fact they were the very image of their father. It was natural and expected that they would grow to every bit as terrifying. Nicholas couldn't help but notice that Jack jr. appeared to be pulling ahead in their self-designed competition to make the King proud. Everything came so naturally to him. They both had their father's spidery, nimble frame. Nicholas however often felt like the owner of a finely-tuned vehicle which he was ill-equipped to drive. Jack jr. could execute flawless manuevers on the first try, only lacking his father's grace and polish. Nicholas felt certain that his shortcomings were obvious to everyone around him. When the boys would converse with their father, the King would often smile tenderly and say: "Nicky, you are your mother's son. You know that? Jr., you'll need your brother's help to keep you in line and out of trouble!" The King would then laugh gently and hug both his sons, Jack jr. beaming while Nicholas silently wished that just once he could be known as the impetuous, wild, uncontrollable one.

Nicholas was jarred from his thoughts by Jack jr. poking him in the nose with a stick of red licorice.

"Here.", Jr. said, another piece of licorice in his mouth. "Mama gave them to me this morning for us. I forgot. Sorry."

Nicholas took the candy. There was a beat of silence as the two boys chewed on their licorice. Suddenly the air split with a glass-shattering scream as a tall figure jumped out from the darkness. It was their father, Jack Skellington Sr., the Pumpkin King of Halloween. He laughed at the two shivering princes, now splayed out on their backs before him.

"Hello pumpkin seeds.", he said warmly and reached out to help his sons up. "How are my little demons?"

Jr. giggled.

"How do you ALWAYS surprise us? I wanna be able to sneak like that!"

"Practice son, practice.", Jack answered with a wink.

Nicholas stood, still quivering. He smiled weakly.

"You okay Nick?", Jack asked. He laid a hand on the boy's skull. Nicky nodded. His father grinned. "Let's get cleaned up for dinner you two." The three skeletal creatures walked together through the hallway before ascending into Skellington Manor.


	2. Early to Bed

  
  
After dinner the princes sprawled on a persian rug in the firelit parlor. Nicholas breezed through his lessons with little difficulty. There was no school in Halloweentown, thus the education of the young princes fell to their parents. Jack and Sally took great care in making sure their sons progressed steadily. Nicky closed his tablet and pushed it away, signaling that he was finished. His twin looked up for a moment and scowled. Nicholas always finished first. It was irritating. The king and queen reclined on opposite ends of an overstuffed velvet couch, their feet meeting together in the middle. Sally smiled languidly, lost in the pages of a romance novel. Across from her, Jack sipped a glass of merlot. It was a typically peaceful evening in the mansion.  
Nicholas grinned at Jack jr., still picking away at arithmetic. The parlor room was quiet but for the scratching of Jack jr.'s pencil and muffled cracks from the fire. In the midst of serenity, Nicky felt the first tickle of a headache fluttering behind his eye sockets. He rubbed his skull.  
"Nicky darling, are you alright?", Sally asked softly. Her son nodded. He sat up, squinting.  
"My head hurts.", he whimpered softly. His mother set aside her book.  
"You two spent too much time playing in those cold, damp tunnels." She leaned down by the boy's side and pressed her palm to his forehead. "You don't feel warm to me but you may be coming down with something."  
"I'm fine. I played in the tunnels all day!", piped up Jack jr. The boys' father stood from the couch.  
"Hrm. Well even so…perhaps you two should get ready for bed. If you are getting sick a good night's sleep could be just the thing."  
Sally nodded.  
"But it's eeeeaarly!", whined Jack jr. Sally shook her head and motioned to the twisting wooden staircase.  
"It isn't really. It's almost your regular bedtime. Upstairs now, lumplings." The princes looked pleadingly at their father.  
"As your mother said", confirmed Jack with a warm skeleton grin.  
  
The pumpkin princes trudged upstairs. Nicholas walked slowly as he was still coddling his aching skull. Jack jr.'s reluctance was due to his disappointment in being sent to bed.  
"I don't wanna go to bed yet, I'm not even tired.", he lamented. "You and your sore skull got us cheated out of a whole half an hour Nick!" Nicholas just shrugged. The identical pair got ready for bed, wiggling into matching pajamas before climbing into their beds under orange and black quilts. It wasn't long at all before a gnashing, growling, snarl began from under Nicholas' bed.  
"Errgh, stop!", the boy shouted. His voice was more peevish than frightened. "I don't feel good." The growling grew louder. Something brushed his feet under his quilt and he kicked at it impatiently. Jack jr. grinned.  
"I'll take care of it, Nicky!"  
Jack jr. leaned down, peering under the bed. Remembering lessons from their father, he bared his teeth and exhaled a sharp, cold, hiss. The growling ceased, trailing off to a sniveling squeak. Jack jr. laughed.  
"Hah! You came here to scare us, but I scared you! I did didn't I? Did I? Did I scare you?"  
"Well done Prince Jack! Well done! I shall tell your father about this!", said a rough voice. Red eyes blinked in the darkness beneath the bed.  
"Oh no don't. I'm supposed to be asleep already.", Jack jr. said sheepishly. The creature realeased a chuckle before disappearing to haunt some other Halloween child's dreams. Jack jr. flopped back into bed.  
"He should know better than to try and scare us, don't you think Nick?"  
"Uh-huh.", Nicholas replied. His head still hurt. It really wouldn't have occurred to him to try and scare the thing under the bed. Who would have thought he could have done that? Jack jr. had apparently, and he had done it. They looked so much alike. Mama and dad were the only ones who could tell them apart with any consistency. Even so, looking alike wasn't everything it would seem. Nicholas closed his eye sockets and slipped into sleep.  
  
Downstairs, Jack poured himself a second glass of wine and turned on the phonograph. A mournful Italian aria swirled softly through the room like smoke.  
"What do you think is the matter with Nicholas? Do you think he is sick?", Jack asked. Sally ran her fingers through her long hair.  
"I hope not. I think he may have just caught a chill today, that's all." She smiled reassuringly at her mate. Jack returned the smile, but he was concerned for his son. Nicholas was a bit of a puzzle. Jack jr. had been game for anything from the time the boys were still creeping along the floor and snoozing side by side in their crib. It wasn't even a year after their birth before the king's namesake began imitating his father's fearsome grimaces and growls. His instincts were very strong, all he needed was guidance. Nicholas on the other hand had always been the one to think first and then act…slowly. He was fiercely intense, which had some potential on its own for being frightening, or at least disturbing, but he just didn't seem to possess any drive in that area. Still, Jack knew the boy had a destiny of some sort, even if it was not as easily recognized as that of his twin. Sally recognized something else, something vague. She had an idea of what it was, but kept silent. She would speak her mind when the time was right. 


	3. Slide

  
  
Weeks passed without incident. It appeared that Nicholas' headache was indeed the result of a chill, or perhaps just the complaint of a tired child. It was soon forgotten by the prince. His thoughts turned to more interesting things.  
"I heard Mama and Dad talking last night. Dad wants to take us all to the Bermuda triangle after Halloween this year. Neat huh?", said Jack jr. Nicholas nodded enthusiastically.  
"You heard that? Ooooo, I wonder if we'll go. I want to go. Wait, when'd you hear them Jacky?"  
"Last night, like I said. I got up to go to the bathroom and they were talking in their room." Jack jr. answered. He stopped on the sodden pathway to pick up a frog. Jack jr. was gifted with creatures of all kinds. He routinely brought home the sick or injured to recover in his care. "Let's play something.", he announced, replacing the frog among some tall reeds.  
Nicholas crinkled his nostrils.  
"We better not Jacky. It's almost lunchtime. Mama will worry if we don't come home in time."  
If Jack jr. could have rolled his eyes he certainly would have. He and his twin were only recently allowed out of the house for extended periods without the accompaniment of a parent. He was feeling quite independent as of late and took it upon himself to make an executive decision.  
"You're it, Nicky!", he said, slapping his brother on the shoulder before tearing off across the swamp. Nicholas sighed. Now he had no choice. He gave chase.  
  
Jack Skellington stood in the town hall, listening to new minor key dirges by the band. Holiday preparations were right on schedule. The Mayor beamed triumphantly by his king's side. What a truly, splendidly, horrendous year they were having! As the band prepared to start a third piece, the town hall doors swung open and a gangly blur sped inside. Jack looked up in surprise.  
"Jacky? Gracious, what is the matter?'  
In any other case the first born son of the Pumpkin King would have registered his distaste for being called "Jacky" in public. He accepted it from his mother, but really, he was getting too big for a baby name like that. Today however the skeleton child took hold of his father's hand and pulled frantically, urging the King to the door.  
"Dad! Dad! Nicky's sick! Really sick! Please hurry!"  
Without another thought, Jack scooped up his namesake under one boney arm and disappeared out the door. The mayor spun to pallor. He and the band members exchanged concerned glances.  
  
Nicholas slowly opened his eye sockets, skull pounding. The room was dim, lit by an oil lamp which was turned as low as possible without completely snuffing the flame. Nicholas blinked. He was in his parents' bed.  
"Hey! He blinked! He blinked! Nicky's up!", hollered Jack jr. The boys' mother shushed him.  
"Jacky, please go let your father know that Nicky's awake.", she whispered. Jack jr. galloped off down the stairs. Sally took a seat on the bed. She leaned down over her son, smiling sweetly. Nicholas felt immensely comforted.  
"You gave us quite a scare my little lumpling.", Sally said. She kissed his skull. Do you remember?" The child shook his head. Sally continued.  
"Jack says you two were playing and you passed out. He got your father, and they brought you home." She smiled again and nuzzled the prince's nose with hers. Her returned the Eskimo kiss, a long time specialty between the princes and their mother. Sally reached to the nightstand and handed her son a small blue cup filled with liquid.  
"Drink this Nicholas. It will help your head."  
The boy did as he was told. The drink was lukewarm and tasted vaguely of flowers. A thought stuck the child. How did she know his head was hurting? He opened his mouth to speak. Before the words could find form, Zero, Jack Skellington senior and junior both rushed into the room. Nicholas' twin leapt upon the bed, almost tackling his sibling.   
"Ah! Jacky! He is sick, remember?", Sally scolded, but her face still held a gentle smile. "I know you love your brother, just be gentle okay?"  
Jack the senior knelt beside the bed and hugged Nicholas.  
"You scared me Nicky!"  
Warm love and concern flooding over the skeleton boy pushed from his mind the one question he had meant to ask his mother. Sally took the empty cup from the nightstand.  
  
Nicholas slept in between his parents that night. He floated in and out of slumber. At one point his ears registered a familiar growl.  
"Wrong room!", Jack said, leaning down, peering under the bed. The thing under the bed responded with embaressment.  
"Oh! I'm sorry Jack! Terribly sorry! Terribly! This house is just so large... Listen uh, I'm especially sorry for that last time too, really sorry about that." His voice lowered. Errr...please, uh, please tell your wife I'm sorry too."  
Sally groaned and rubbed her head. Beside her, Nicholas faded back to sleep. It was as if he were sinking into cool, deep, water. Sliding into darkness. His father patted his back before falling asleep himself, but Nicholas was already too far away to feel it.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Troubled Night

  
  
Sleep twisted and swirled the child's skull, behaving like cream poured into dark coffee. It was close to morning when Nicholas fluttered his eye sockets and squirmed out of his parents' bed. He crossed the hall into the bathroom, a dungeon-like chamber trimmed with black marble and rough walls of granite. Scowling gargoyles perched upon posts in the corners of the room. Nicholas stood before the vanity and blinked at his reflection in a jagged edged mirror. His usual round face peered amiably back at him. It was strikingly similar to his father's, with only the proportions of youth as a measurable difference. That, and tiny furrows under his large eye sockets. He was still tired.  
Two little pottery cups sat against the backsplash of the vanity. One with a spider painted under the glaze, one with a small bat. Nicholas stared at the pair of cups. He slowly reached out and took hold of the one with the spider. His brother's cup. As if controlled by some force outside of his bones, Nicholas lifted the cup from the vanity and held it before him. He grasped it carefully, but despite this it suddenly slipped from his fingers, crashing upon the stone floor. Shards of pottery flew outward from the impact. Nicholas gasped. Why had that happened? He was sure he had had a good hold on it. Why had he touched Jacky's cup in the first place? He slowly crouched down over the shattered remains. He chewed his lower lip nervously.  
"Nicholas? Are you okay?"  
He looked up. His father stood in the bathroom doorway in his pajamas and cap.  
"Are you feeling sick pumpkin seed? Your mama could make something for you if you want."  
Sally padded softly across the hall after hearing her husband's voice. She rested her head against his shoulder, looking at their son.  
Nicky motioned to the floor around his little feet.  
"I broke Jacky's cup."  
The king and queen followed their son's gaze. There was nothing on the floor except for a small black and white spider walking carefully on the stone.  
"What Nicky?", Jack asked. Nicholas frowned and looked to where moments before he had seen pieces of pottery scattered like eggshells. The floor was clean, bare. He scratched his skull. Was it a dream? If so, why was he here in the bathroom? Sleepwalking? He stood up. Both cups sat undisturbed in their usual place.  
"Come back to bed little one.", Jack said gently. He touched his son's shoulder. Nicholas hesitated, then began to cry. He wiped his eye sockets with tiny skelleton fists. Jack lifted the boy and carried him back to the bedroom. Nicholas felt grateful that his brother was asleep. He didn't want to be seen crying, being carried like an infant. He didn't want to be seen, but was glad for the comfort. Why was all of this strange stuff happening?  
  
"Jack, let's go downstairs for cup of tea.", Sally whispered to her husband. They sat side by side in their bed after easing their son back to sleep. Jack looked at her in the darkness.  
"What is it Sally?"  
"I want to talk to you about Nicholas. I think I know why he's sick, and what happened tonight. I'm certain that I do.", she said with a resolute nod.  
Jack looked again at the sleeping prince before taking his wife's hand. They left the boy and went downstairs to the kitchen.  
  
A skeletal rooster ushered in dawn as the jack o'lantern sun rose. All over Halloweentown monsters and ghouls (at least those who kept diurnal hours) climbed from their beds. Another day of preparing scares and terror, one less day until Halloween.  
The Skellington twins ate their breakfasts of oatmeal and blood oranges. Jack sr. sipped his morning tea while browsing the town newspaper. Sally made some extra porridge for Zero, then settled at the table beside her sons. Nicholas glanced about the table at his family. His skull felt fine at the moment, never better. This morning felt like a thousand others in his haunted home. His brother had apparently heard nothing of the previous night's puzzlements, no one said a word. Maybe it was just a strange dream after all, pondered Nicholas.  
The old clock in the hallway chimed. Jack folded his newspaper. He motioned to his namesake.  
"Come on. You're with me today."  
Jack jr. gaped in surprise, then grinned.  
"Really? Neat! What're we doing dad?"  
"Work as usual my son, work as usual!", the Pumpkin King called as he put on his suit jacket. Jack jr. beamed. He hopped out of his seat and trotted after his father. Nicholas sighed and started to follow. He was stopped by his mother's hand on his.  
"You're with me today Nicky." 


	5. A Walk in the Forest

  
Hi all. Thanks for the reviews, they totally make my day! Speaking of days, I'll be out of town all this week so no more updates till I get home. See u later lumplings.  
  
Over the years Sally Skellington had grown into her roles as not only the wife of the famous Jack Skellington, but also the queen of Halloween, not to mention the mother of the pumpkin princes. The world of the undead watched her and her children. Where once there was a thick cloud of doubt as to whether she was truly a fitting mate for the force of nature known as the Pumpkin King, now existed an atmosphere of respect. She had proven herself worthy. Not that much of that mattered to Sally, or to Jack for that matter. She was who she was. An unlikely Halloween creature. Too soft and lovely to ever be fully accepted in darker circles, yet too cadaverous to be thought beautiful anywhere else.  
Jack and his first born left the mansion. Sally and Nicholas heard the heavy front door slam behind them. Nicholas winced at the sound, his face filled with hurt. Left behind. Perhaps it was just because his father suspected he was still sick. Perhaps. Maybe it was because there was no point in taking him along on a day learning holiday business. He wasn't the heir to throne. He knew and understood that, even at the tender age of nine. He didn't particularly mind not having that responsibility, even if the reasoning behind it seemed terribly random. One day almost ten years ago, he and his brother were born. By simple din of who happened to emerge first, the future king was chosen. What if he had happened to be the first? Would that small detail have made him the possesor of his father's talent? There was no reason to think that it would. Fate had made the correct choice. Nicholas sniffled.  
"Nicky? Do you know why you are home with me today?", Sally asked. Nicholas shook his head "no". Sally smiled. She took her shawl from its resting place near the stairs.  
"I'm going to pick mushrooms in the forest so that we can have them with dinner. Walk with me?"  
The boy nodded.  
  
Across town Jack jr. felt as if he were sitting on top of the world. He accompanied his father on the rounds from ghoul to ghoul, checking progress. He listened intently to the suggestions made by the king, soaking it all up. Several of the townsfolk made comments such as "Ah, you're accompanying your father today Prince Jack? How marvelous! Why everyone knows you are showing such promise!" The King had to admit that he too was filling with pride. He looked forward to the day when his young sons would at last be ready to frighten the living on Halloween night.  
As morning turned to afternoon, Jack jr. began to feel a mix of pity for his twin intermingled with his own accomplishment. Nicholas hadn't been asked to join their father on this outing. It wasn't Nicky's fault that he wasn't good at being scary. Everyone said that Nicholas took more after their mother and Jack jr. after their dad. Everyone said that, and everyone knew that mama wasn't scary. The prince's thoughts were interrupted by his father.  
"What are you thinking about Jacky?" Jack's son scowled, sticking out his little forked tongue in disgust.  
"Daaad… Don't call me that! That's a baby name!"  
Jack laughed.  
"I suppose maybe you are getting a big old for it, but you're still my little lumpling after all."  
"You sound like Mama.", said the prince.  
"And that isn't a good thing?", asked Jack with another laugh.  
  
Nicholas followed his mother into the forest. He carried a wicker and wood basket in which to collect the mushrooms. Sally stopped partway down a sun speckled path. She knelt, her sand-colored linen skirt billowing around her legs. Her hands picked through a cluster of mushrooms nestled among tree roots. The queen spoke to her son without looking up.  
"Nicky, can you see in the dark?"  
The skeleton boy looked confused.  
"Sure, Mama. Me and Jacky both can. You told us we got it from Dad."  
"You did, that is true.", said Sally placing a handful of the mushrooms into Nicholas' basket. She smiled up at him.  
"Seeing in the dark is from your father. Seeing that which others can not, in light or dark, well, that is from me Nicholas." Her son frowned, unable to comprehend what his mother was telling him. She smoothed her full skirt, trying to find the easiest way to explain.  
"Nicholas, have I ever told you about a dark night, long, long ago, when I held a thistle bloom outside your father's gate? The boy shook his head. Sally smiled and patted the earth beside her, inviting her son to sit.  
  
"Dad, are we going to practice scaring today?", Jack jr. asked. He skipped happily behind his father, trying to keep up with the Pumpkin King's lengthy strides. The king stopped, gently patting his son's skull.  
"Not today Jacky, or Jr. if you prefer.", he said with a gentle laugh. "It's getting late. We should go home and grab a bite to eat. After lunch, I have a meeting with the Vampires." Jack jr. was disappointed. Halloween was coming up so quickly! He would need more practice before then.  
"Dad, will I be all alone on Halloween night or are you going to put me in a group?" The small boy's voice was very serious. His father appeared baffled by the quiery.  
"Whatever do you mean Ja- err, Jr.? You'll be with your mother and brother of course!" Jack Jr. was stricken.  
"Huh? But I thought I was going out for the first time this Halloween!"  
"No, not for a few years yet my son. You will be terrifying, I have no doubt of that, but you're not ready to leave our world yet. In a few years Jr., in a few years."  
The pair began walking back across the square to their home. The impatient prince spoke up again.  
"Dad, why'd you bring me out here and make me follow you around all day if you're still going to treat me like a little kid?"  
To that the King laughed more loudly than before.  
"I don't need to have a reason to take one of my boys out with me for the day, but if you must know, today in particular is because your mother is worried about you. She's afraid you might get hurt soon, or be in danger. I'm just keeping you a little closer under my wing for awhile, that's all."  
Jack Jr. didn't understand. Why would he be in danger? If he was, how did his mother know about it? Without thinking, the child took his father's hand as they crossed the square. 


	6. An Unapproved Visitor

6  
  
Jack Jr. entered the leaning mansion with his father. The pair ascended to the kitchen where Nicholas was already eating his lunch. He appeared considerably brighter than he had earlier that day, even smiling cheerfully at his brother and father as they came in. Sally hummed to herself as she peeled potatos by the iron sink. Her king cuddled up behind her, slipping his elegant arms about her waist. He whispered into her ear.  
"Hello love. I trust you had a nice morning? Did you and Nicholas…talk?"  
Sally smiled.  
"Yes, we talked."  
The couple looked at one another and then turned to their sons. Jack jr. had taken his seat beside Nicholas. Sally kissed Jr. lightly on the skull and placed a sandwich and soup before him. She then looked expectantly at her husband, who nodded. The pumpkin king and his queen sat down across from their boys.  
  
A short while later, Jack found himself running late for his meeting with the vampires but things with his sons were so muddled that it didn't seem fair to leave.  
"You are telling me that Nicky can see the future?", Jr. demanded.  
"Yep. I can.", Nicky answered triumphantly before either of his parents could step in.  
"Mama can too?", asked Jack Jr. He felt cheated, and aside from that he wondered why this information had not been disclosed to him earlier. It made him imagine all manner of things his family could be keeping from him. This was unfair.  
"I wouldn't say we can see the future. That isn't right really.", Sally tried to explain. "I can sense things. I see things which give clues to what will happen, but the meaning isn't always clear. Nicholas it seems is developing the same ability. That is why he hasn't been feeling so well as of late. It is a gift of sorts, but the visions can be difficult to tolerate."  
Nicholas nodded happily and took a bite of his sandwich. His twin regarded him with quiet, uncertain resentment.  
"I don't understand.", Jack Jr. said finally. His father reached out, patting the boy's skeletal hand with his own.  
"Heh. Well, the good part is we know our Nicky will be okay. I've been so worried about these headaches, and the fainting. It never occurred to me that this could be what the problem is, but it makes all the sense in the world! You have many of your mama's traits after all Nicholas."  
"It's difficult to explain I suppose.", Sally said gently. "When I was very new to the world I got sick frequently. The doctor was always worrying about my head, worrying about my mind…" She laughed softly. "It wasn't long before I began to realize that I saw things he couldn't."  
Nicholas grinned at his brother.  
"Don't be boastful Nicky.", Sally scolded. "You may find this to be a gift you wish you could give back."  
Now both boys scowled in silence. Their father shook his head, then looked to his wife. Sally smiled reassuringly.  
"You need to go back to work Jack. We're fine."  
"…and Jacky?", the king asked.  
"I will keep him close.", said Sally with a sigh. She teasingly patted her firstborn on the head with a potholder. He squirmed. Jack kissed his wife goodbye and headed out to the town square.  
  
"Why do think I'm gonna get hurt?", Jack Jr. asked his mother. Sally returned to her potatos, peeling each one before dropping them into a pot of water. She spoke over her shoulder to the boy.  
"You brother had a vision. He saw your cup in the bathroom fall to the floor and break."  
"My bathroom cup is okay. I used it this morning.", Jr. puzzled outloud.  
"Duh. That's why it's a 'vision' dummy! It didn't really happen, I just saw it in my head.", said Nicholas. He explained it as if it were the most simple, natural thing in the world. Jack Jr. ignored him and continued speaking to their mother.  
"How do you know it means I could get hurt? It might just mean that we should be very careful with my cup."  
Sally shook her head.  
"Visions aren't trivial Jacky. They use simple things as symbols." She wiped her hands on her apron, then turned to her sons.  
"Your father and I want you to be extra careful for awhile Jacky, that's all. Do you understand?"  
Jack Jr. said nothing at first. Sally tapped him on the shoulder. She repeated:  
"Do you understand?"  
"Yeeees, mama.", he answered.  
  
"Did it hurt Nicky?", Jack Jr. asked his brother. They sat across from one another in their bedroom, playing their third game of snakes and ladders. Nicholas shrugged.  
"It didn't hurt. I had a headache before, but once it happened it didn't hurt."  
He crinkled his nostrils as his play piece slid down a snake.  
"It was really real Jacky!", he said looking up. "I mean, I could see it so clearly! I thought I broke your cup!"  
"I didn't know mama had anything like that.", Jack Jr. said. Nicky shook his head.  
"Me neither."  
Nicholas threw dice across the board, hoping to make up for that last snake. As the prince reached for his game piece, the twins were startled by a sharp tap against the window.  
"What was that?", asked Nicholas. Jack jr. had already jumped up and ran to the glass. He pused the pane open and waved to someone below.  
"Hey Nicky! It's Lock!"  
Nicholas made a face.  
"Tell him to go away Jacky. We can't go outside. Well, you can't anyway, and mama won't let him play here today."  
"Hush up Nick!", said Jr. He waved downward again, then motioned for Lock to come up. A moment later, the older devil-child slipped through the window.  
"How'd you get up here?", Nicholas asked accusingly. Lock smirked.  
"Climbed, that's all. It was easy."  
Nicholas snorted. Tattling was an attractive option at the moment… 


	7. Windows and Doors

Lock sat on the edge of Jack Jr.'s bed. Jack abandoned the board game and hopped onto his bed, happy to socialize with someone more interesting than his newly pre-cognitive twin.  
Lock was an enigma, even among Halloweenfolk. He and his cohorts had for years, perhaps decades, existed in a state of frozen childhood. They kept to themselves for the most part, with the exception of their tumultuous employment by the late Oogie Boogie. Following his demise they began to take more of an interest in general Halloweentown activity, mainly for want of something to do. Still, most of the citizens gave the trio a wide berth.  
These days Lock faced an intriguing dilemma. He had taken an interest in Jack Jr., as the boy was exceedingly bright, adventurous, and possessed a streak of mischief and disobediance. The pair developed a friendship under the concerned eye sockets of the Pumpkin King. Now however, Lock faced the reality that his newfound friend was growing quickly. It wouldn't be too terribly long before Lock would lose his position as the cool, older one. Jack would pass him, and who knows? In time, the prince might not even want to spend time with a child, even if that child did have the wisdom of years. Lock wondered if he should accept aging and possible mortality that came with it. He had the power to do it if he so chose, but there would be no going back. It had been Shock's idea first, as she considered the benefits of developing an adult female figure. Lock had thought she was crazy at first, but as he watched the twins grow, his mind began to turn. Barrel, well, Barrel could be easily convinced depending on the decision of his compatriots.  
The twins and their guest were interrupted by the sound of Sally's footsteps on the stairs.  
"Lock!", Jack Jr. whispered. He lifted the pathwork dust ruffle on his bed and Lock slipped underneath like mercury. Nicholas groaned. The queen entered her sons' room, her long skirt gliding over the hardwood floor.  
"Is everything alright?", she asked brightly. Her twins nodded in unison.  
"Good. Would you like something more to eat, or perhaps something to drink?"  
Her quiery was met with a double head shake.  
"Fine then. I'll be in my sewing room if you need anything. Please tell Lock that if he wants to visit you he needs to use the front door like everyone else. I suppose I should be the last one to discount windows and a method of exit, but even so… He needs to use the door."  
Nicholas and Jack Jr. looked at their mother, dumbfounded. She continued in a slightly louder voice:  
"You can stay for fifteen minutes Lock, then Jack and Nicholas need to start their studies."  
Sally turned to leave. Nicholas piped up before she had closed the bedroom door behind her.  
"Mama! How'd you know about Lock? Did you have a vision that he was coming over?"  
Sally sighed, turning back to her son.  
"In a manner of speaking Nicholas. I saw him climbing up the ivy trellis. Fifteen minutes."  
She smiled and gave a small wave, then exited the room. Lock slid out from under the bed with a grin. He tail whipped dangerously.  
"Your mom is such a milf Jr."  
The boy looked at his friend quizzically.  
"Huh?"  
Lock shook his head with a sigh.  
"Nevermind. Was she serious I can only stay for fifteen minutes?"  
Jack jr. nodded.  
"Yeah. Dad'll be home soon anyway. We'll have dinner then. You want to stay for dinner?"  
Nicholas whined audibly. He didn't want to spend all evening with Lock. Lock cut his eyes at the boy for an instant, then shrugged.  
"Nah. Sitting around, having dinner with your dad? That's no fun. I'll see you later." He sat on the window sill and prepared to descend.  
"Ah! Use the door!", Nicholas scolded. Now both Jack jr. and Lock cut their eyes at him. Lock gave a final wave and disappeared downward.  
  
"Ugh. I can't stand him.", Nicholas sniffed. "Do you want to play another game?"  
Jack Jr. shook his head. He exhaled heavily and looked out the window. Lock was strolling away across the weathered hills, back in the direction of his treehouse. Jack Jr. wanted to be out there too. The world had been opened up to him so recently! Finally given the freedom to run around, play and explore the town and hillsides without being accompanied by his mother or father. Now just because Nicholas had some kind of headache followed by dementia, his brother was forced to stay inside. Jack Jr. looked up to Lock. The last thing he wanted was for Lock to think he was some kind of baby.  
"Why don't you want to play another game?", Nicholas asked.   
"Shut up, Nicky.", pouted Jack Jr., still gazing out the window.   



	8. Field Trip by Moonlight

  
  
"Darling?, How long do you think it will take before we find out what Nicky's vision actually meant?", Jack asked his wife. Sally lay by his side in their bed. She watched the amber firelight flicker across the walls.  
"I don't know."  
Jack scratched his skull. It was quite late. He and his queen had shared a particularly splendid amorous encounter shortly after retiring for the evening. He was content and sated. By all logical accounts he should have fallen asleep hours ago. Instead, he sat awake, restless.  
"It doesn't usually take too long Jack.", Sally said, touching his chest.  
"Well. Sometimes it takes awhile. Sometimes it takes nine months.", Jack said plainly. He referred to an enigmatic vision had by Sally on the day their sons were conceived.  
"Yes, but…I really think we could have deciphered that one if we had put our minds to it.", Sally breathed. Her husband laughed.  
"Come now. Hindsight is twenty-twenty after all." He squeezed Sally closer to him and she smiled. Jack kissed her hair, then rose from the bed.  
"Where are you going Jack?", Sally asked. He put on his robe and opened the bedroom door.  
"Just going to peek in at the boys, that's all."  
Jack crept across the hallway. He was slightly surprised to find the door to his sons' bedroom closed. It was all the same to Jack Jr., but Nicholas generally preferred it open while they slept. Jack twisted the lavender glass knob and opened the door. He scanned the dark room, and felt a jolt run through his bones. How on earth would he break this to Sally?  
  
-----------  
  
"You are a moron. A moron. You're a total moronic pudding head."  
"Yeah, well. If I am a moron, who are you to be following me?"  
  
The princes of Halloweentown walked single file through a subterranean tunnel, far beneath their home. Jack jr. lead, while his twin followed behind providing commentary.  
"I never told you to come with me Nicky. Why don't you just go back to bed already?"  
"Because! If something happens to you I want to see it."  
Jack Jr. snorted. They continued on. Cool rivulets of water trickled down the stone walls. Nicholas had never been this far into the passages.   
"I don't know why I said 'if.' Something definitely will happen to you, and to me too! Just wait until mama and dad find out we're gone!"  
"Nicky, dad is sound asleep, believe me. Don't worry about mama, I can handle her."  
The expedition leader paused, then tapped the ceiling.  
"Here we go!", he said happily. The boy leapt upward, slipping through a gap in the rock ceiling. Nicholas followed with considerably more trepidation. They surfaced under a starlit sky. Nicholas blinked.   
"It's the pumpkin patch! We're in the pumpkin patch! How'd you know this was where it would end up Jacky?"  
"Dad mentioned it once. I kept meaning to try it out, just never got to it before tonight."  
Nicholas nodded, impressed in spite of himself. The moon hung full and bright above them. Pale silver light illuminated the dew covered pumpkins.  
After a few more moments of introspection, Jack jr. stood and dusted the earth from his slacks.  
"Where are we going?", Nicholas asked.  
"I'm gonna hang out with Lock for awhile I think. Not too long, I want to be back home before morning afterall."  
Nicholas stopped in his tracks.  
"Lock?! Noooooooo…I don't want to play with Lock!"  
Jack Jr. turned back to his brother impatiently.  
"I told you not to come didn't I? So go home!"  
Nicholas stood uncertainly at the edge of the pumpkin patch, watching his brother stride away. He hesitated, but then trotted to catch up. Jack jr. was a pain, but he was still Nicholas' brother. If he was truly in danger, Nicholas didn't want him facing it alone.   
  
Barrel slept soundly, passed out on his stomach. A purple sucker was cemented by wet sugar into his hair. Lock was also asleep, although he never slept deeply. It was Shock who was still fully awake, sitting up reading, who received the trio's guests. She jumped at the sound of a solid rap on the wooden trap door.  
"Who is it?", the witch girl called in her most threatening voice.  
"It's Jack and Nicky.", came the answer. Shock made a face. It was close to two am, what were the twins doing out? She flipped open the door and two small skeleton boys entered, one looking much more uneasy than the other.  
"Hi!", Lock called, climbing off of his ramshackle cot. "Wow! How'd you get out at this hour?"  
Jack Jr. grinned and waved his hand, signifying that it was nothing.  
"Mama and Dad are asleep. We'll be back before they get up."  
Lock laughed and gave his friend a playful punch on the shoulder. This boy had such potential. Nicholas looked nervously out the window of the treehouse, expecting to see his father striding over the hills any minute. Shock gave voice to the prince's concern.  
"You two better hope you don't get caught. Your parents will kill you twice over!" She stood with her arms folded over her chest, leaning against the wall. Barrel slept on.  



	9. Provocation

Jack jr. and Lock sat on the floor drinking soda and eating candy. A pile of horror comics rested between them. Shock announced that she wanted nothing to do with the royal offsprings' nocturnal wanderings, and she pulled her quilt over her head like a small tent. Nicholas wished he could enjoy this spontaneous adventure as much as Jack jr. was. He tried to eat a piece of toffee but it tasted like sawdust to him. Every ounce of his being was occupied with guilt and the fear of being caught.  
"Nick, do you want to play cards?", Jack jr. asked. Nicholas shook his skull. He never averted his gaze from the window pane.  
"What's the problem with him?", asked Lock.  
"Scared as usual.", said Jack jr.  
Lock laughed. Jack jr. continued:  
"He thinks he can see the future. What's even worse, mama and dad believe him! That's why I haven't been allowed out by myself. Nicky thinks he had a vision saying I'm gonna get hurt or killed or something." The boy laughed nervously, expecting Lock to join him in the absurdity of it all. Instead, Lock frowned. His face was serious.  
"A vision huh? Like your mom has?"  
Nicholas brightened. For once he was interested in something Lock had to say.  
"Yes! You know about that Lock?"  
Lock shrugged.  
"Sure, I do. Most everyone does." He looked across to his friend.  
"Jack, maybe you should be careful you know. Your mom's visions are pretty serious. That's what I've heard anyways…"  
Jack jr. shook his skull. He waved his spidery hand dismissively at his twin.  
"Nah. Nicky just had a bad dream. That's kinda why we're out tonight. This should prove that there's nothing bad going to happen to me. I've snuck out in the middle of the night, walked through the tunnels, crossed the pumpkin patch, and here I am visiting Lock. Nothing has happened! You see?"  
"We need to go home Jacky. Soon!", warned Nicholas in as stern a voice as he could muster. His brother sighed. Talked to Nicholas was like talking to a wall sometimes. A weird, freaky, little wall.  
"Relax. We'll go home soon Nick"  
Nicholas turned from the window and looked at his brother. Lock shuffled a deck of cards. The deck used to belong to non other than the infamous Oogie Boogie. As Jack jr. picked up the hand dealt to him, he noticed faint russet stains on some of the cards. Lock had led a far more interesting life than either of the twins. No wonder it was difficult to impress him. Jack jr. ran his small boney fingers over the playing cards.  
"What did you mean by tunnels? How did you get out without anyone in town seeing you and ratting to your parents?", Lock asked.  
"We didn't go through town, we used the tunnels.", explained Jack jr. Nicholas' head spun towards his brother.  
"Jacky!"  
Lock's face reflected sudden, sharp interest.  
"What tunnels?"  
"Under the house. Our house, I mean.", said Jack jr.. Nicholas looked as if he wanted to jump out of his bones.  
"Shut up, Jacky! That is secret!"  
Lock laughed lightly. He ignored Nicholas. He and his companions traveled this town from one end to the other. Surely if there was some kind of secret passage system they would have happened upon it by now, wouldn't they? A challenge was in order. He smiled slyly at his guest.  
"No way. Prove it!"  
Jack jr. sat up straight, weighing his options. He slapped the cards down before him.  
"I can show them to you if you walk back with us."  
Nicholas leapt from the window sill.  
"Jacky, no! Those tunnels are secret!"  
Lock groaned.  
"Nicky? Do you ever just act like a kid? You never want to have fun, never!"  
Nicholas pursed his lips. He glared at Lock. Jack jr. chimed in with his friend.  
"Yeah Nicky. You act like you're the king or something. You're not even going to be the king, so why don't you just calm down for once?"  
Nicholas flopped back onto the window sill. Inside his ribs, he felt a tiny flame of anger seethe and throw. 


	10. Raising Cain

Sally Skellington sat on a velvet couch in the parlor. Jack had left to find their sons. She waited at home in case they came back, brushing worried tears from her cheeks.  
  
Lock followed Jack jr. through the passageways, silent with awe. He had definitely made the right decision in becoming friends with the prince. Nicholas trudged behind his brother and Lock, a dark mood swelling within his bones. He wished he had just stayed in bed. The tunnels widened slightly. Jack jr. stopped and looked around.  
"We're almost under the house now. See how everything's more dry and open here? I guess that's because we use these more."   
Lock's yellow eyes glittered in the darkness. Like the twins, he was blessed with the gift of nocturnal sight. The devil child peeked around a stone pillar into a chamber. He gasped audibly.  
"Whaaa?"  
Jack jr. peered over Lock's shoulder. The room before them was piled with gold coins and antiquities.  
"What's wrong?", the prince asked his friend. Lock looked incredulous.  
"Nothing's wrong, but…geez, did you know this was here Jack?"  
"Sure. It's been here.", Jack jr. said.  
Lock scoffed. He walked further down the passage, investigating the chambers on either side with fascination. Jack jr. was proud to have shown his friend something so obviously interesting. Nicholas felt increasingly violated. This was his home. Their home. It was private. Now that Lock knew about it, couldn't he just come down whenever he felt like it? Then he and Jack jr. would play down here and make it their own. Nicholas strode to his brother.  
"We need to get back to bed Jacky. Mom and Dad will be up soon. Get Lock out of here!" His scowled hard at his twin, desperate to impart the severity of the situation. Jack jr. pushed Nicholas away lightly.  
"Stop bossing me Nicholas, I mean it!", said Jack jr.   
"No!", Nicholas spat. He took a step closer to his brother.  
Jack jr. closed the distance and snarled like their father had taught them. The sound made Lock's hair stand on end. He backed nervously toward the wall.  
"I'm the boss Nicholas.", hissed Jack jr. His brother laughed humorlessly.  
"Are not! Not at all!"  
"I am too! I'm going to be the king, not you!"  
"You're going to be a rotten king!", yelled Nicholas. He shoved his brother, pushing him back several steps. Jack jr. sprang forward in an instant, again inches away from his brother.  
"You're jealous. Jealous because I'm going to be the king, and because you aren't scary. You're not scary at all Nicholas! All you have are weird headaches! Your visions don't even mean anything, so you don't even have what our mother has! Everybody knows that I'm the one who's going to be as good as dad!"  
Nicholas felt the tiny flame within him explode as if it had been ignited by lamp-oil. He screamed like a banshee and leapt onto his brother, knocking him down. Lock couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wondered if he should run, get out of here before anything major happened. Then again, if anything major happened how could he risk missing it? Nicholas fought like a wild animal. Obviously he and his brother were an even physical match, but Jack jr. was caught so completely off guard he barely managed to defend himself at all. Nicholas had never lost his temper before. It hardly seemed possible.  
"You're crazy Nicky! Leave me alone!", Jack jr. yelped. His jaw hurt from the one good blow Nicholas had delivered before his brother thought to dodge. Squirming from under his attacker, Jack jr. scrambled away. He jumped to his feet as Nicholas gave chase.  
Lock called out as they disappeared down the dark hallway. He started after them, before hearing Nicholas screech:  
"AH! WAIT JACKY! OUBLIETTE!! OUBLIETTE!!! REMEMBER?!"  
There was another screech, followed by silence. Lock stood alone in the darkness. He took a couple more steps, then called again, but heard no reply from either of the princes.  
  
Nicholas lay stretched on his chest, his arm reaching down into a pit of blackness. The oubliette. An old-fashioned feature of the passages, it was a dungeon of sorts open only through a hatch in its ceiling. Jack jr., in the haste to escape his brother, had fallen directly into said hatch. Nicholas managed to catch him by the hand. Now the heir to the Kingdom of horror hung precariously in his twin's grip. Nicholas tried to pull them both safely up, but could not. He was out of breath, nervous, and growing terrified. The vision. He had been holding his brother's cup hadn't he? Hadn't he thought he had a firm hold on it? It had slipped away and shattered. Nicholas gulped. His brother's thin fingers slipped slightly.  
"I love you Jacky.", Nicholas whispered. Warm tears slid down his skull. They plopped onto his brother below. "I'm sorry."  
"I love you too Nick. Hey…Nicky? Is this your vision? You were right.", Jack jr. said. Nicholas nodded, wishing he hadn't been right. Jack jr. looked up again.  
"You didn't do this on purpose did you Nick?"  
Nicholas started crying harder. His twin, despite his most uncertain predicament, did his best to provide comfort.  
"I was just asking Nick. I know you didn't mean to do it. Don't cry."  
"What happened?" said Lock. He crawled to Nicholas' side and stared down at his friend.  
"Help! Help Nicky pull me up!", called Jack jr.. Lock took hold of his friend's arm. Lock and Nicholas slowly began pulling the prince to safety.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING DOWN HERE?!", boomed the King's voice. Lock and Nicholas both jumped in fright. They released the hand of the dangling prince. He plummeted into the oubliette with a frightened squeal. 


	11. Broken

[short chapter. not done yet, but almost ]

"So this is our heir to the throne? Fallen down an oubliette in the wee hours of the morning? I weep for the future…", sighed Dr. Finklestein. The small skeleton boy lay splayed out on the old man's exam table, very much unconscious. One of his arms, and one leg were quite broken, along with two crushed vertebrae and a bruised coccyx. It was here that the nature of skeletal creatures such as Jack and his progeny created problems. With no external flesh or muscle covering the ivory exterior, and everything of value sealed within, a break was far more serious for beings of their kind than for most others. The white outer shell cracked and separated. The estranged pieces remained tethered only by a vessels and ropes of a tendon-like material. The breaks wept blood and fluid which pooled onto the steel of the table. Jack felt weak at the knees. He had slipped easily down into the oubliette immediately when he realized what had happened. It was no easy task lifting the broken child and carrying him back to the surface. The king deftly wrapped the boy in his coat and white shirt, securing all errant parts, and rushed him here to the one man whom he felt could help with the necessary immediacy.  
Sally stood beside the table, silent as stone. Nicholas huddled behind her, peering with terrified eye-sockets around his mother's shoulder. He wished he were still small enough to hide behind her skirt, almost unseen by the rest of the world, but able to keep watch just the same.  
"Obviously neither of you had any idea your small child was out wandering at such an unholy hour?", the old man said with a glance at the royal couple. Sally rubbed her temples.  
"He was in bed Doctor. We thought he was fast asleep."  
Jack nodded in agreement. He so wished they could be seen by the Christmastown doctor but…time was of utmost importance. That and as insufferable as he could be, the evil scientist did know the workings of Jack and his kind better than anyone. He knew all of the creatures in Halloweentown.  
"You never heard him get up?", Dr. Finklestein pressed. Sally shook her head quickly. The old man "tsk-tsked." Jack took his wife's hand in his and squeezed gently. He wished he could say whatever he wanted, but with his son's life hanging in the balance, not to mention his own obligation to be civil and kingly at all times, it was best to say as little as possible. He imagined for a moment the old man's face if he had answered plainly:  
"Sorry. We were making love. I might have heard something but I didn't much care at the time."  
Or there was always,  
"Sure we heard him. We are terrible parents, everyone knows that. Your point good sir?"  
Jack almost cracked a grin at the sheer surreality of it all. Almost. The sight of one of his beloved little pumpkin seeds in such distress gripped his brain like a claw. Sally watched her creator work. She watched as he set the bones close, carefully replacing the softness within. He braced the break together, then reached for a curved suture needle and thread. Nicholas yelped. Sally nuzzled his cheek before turning back to the procedure.  
"He'll look a bit more like his mother when this is done, at least for awhile.", chuckled the doctor. It was hard to tell if his tone was mocking or an attempt at kindness.  
"It would seem he already has her judgment and discretion if not her physical resilience."  
Nicholas was unsure about the meaning of the Doctor's words, but he instinctively circled his arms around his mother's waist. Sally patted his skull, her heart heavy. 


	12. Painful Lessons

  
  
Jr. stirred. There was someone holding his hand. He slowly opened his eye sockets. His mother lay across him, fast asleep, her small fingers intertwined with his. Her long hair lay tangled and stuck to her cheeks where tears had dried.  
"Awake?", said a smooth voice. The Pumpkin King sat in a watered-satin wing chair. Jr.'s pajamed twin slept in his father's lap, bones curled impossibly into a compact ball. Jr. smiled. Nicholas was such a baby. The reality of what had happened and why he was laid up here in his parents' bed had not yet seeped in his consciousness. All was cloudy.  
"How do you feel?", Jack asked. His son attempted to sit up. A wave of pain reminded the boy of all that had gone before. Jack raised his brow.  
"How do you feel?", he repeated.  
"Everything hurts.", murmured Jack jr. sheepishly. His father gently placed Nicholas aside and rose from the wingchair.  
"I am quite sure it does. I do hope that you appreciate how very lucky you are."  
Sally's eyelashes fluttered. She lifted her head.  
"Jacky? Jacky, you're awake?", she said with a relieved smile. She crept closer to her son's skull and kissed him. Her voice was breathless. "You haven't tried to move have you? Don't move. Your bones are broken Jacky, you're hurt very badly. The doctor fixed you, but it will be awhile before you are healed. Oh, my poor lumpling." The queen laid her head against her son's ribs again. Jack walked to the bedside and stroked her hair.  
"Our baby is going to be fine dearest. Sally, why don't you go tuck Nicholas into his bed? He can't be comfortable in that chair." Sally looked up, following her husband's gaze to the younger prince who remained contorted in the wingchair. She smiled and clicked her tongue. Moving from the bed, she helped a groggy Nicholas to his bony little feet and lead him across the hallway. Jack watched them before returning attention to his injured namesake. His skull held an expression which Jack jr. found disturbingly hard to interperet. The king spoke:  
"I am so terribly angry with you jr.. Terribly angry. I've searched my brain for an appropriate punishment, but in the end I suppose being almost completely immobilized in your parents' bed for an indeterminate amount of time is sufficient. As for Nicholas, well, I am still working that out." Jack jr. sniffled. He wiped at an eye socket with his good arm.  
"Dad…it wasn't Nicky's fault you know. I made him go. Well, I told him not to go with me, but he went because he wanted to make sure I was okay. He didn't sneak out for fun like I did."  
The Pumpkin King found a smile sneaking onto his skull at his son's words. In spite of everything, he was touched. The twins fought and bickered with one another non-stop. Jack and Sally frequently scolded the princes and reminded them how fortunate they were to have one another. The royal couple worried that their admonitions fell on deaf ears. Now the young prince's words proved otherwise. Jack chuckled gently and touched his son's skull.  
  
"Mama? Is Jacky…going to pass on?", Nicholas asked in a solemn tone. He swallowed hard, choking back a sob as he climbed into his bed. Sally pulled a quilt over him.  
"Your brother needs time to heal Nicky. He was hurt very badly. He will get better though. You are both so very lucky."  
Nicky sighed, his heart flooding with relief. He tried to put images of his brother's broken body and the doctor's instruments out of his brain.  
"In case you are wondering, you will be punished.", Sally said in a matter of fact tone. Nicholas frowned.  
"I only went along to make sure Jacky would be safe! I couldn't let him go alone."  
Sally closed thick curtains against the impending sunrise.  
"You should have told your father and I Nicholas. If you couldn't stop him from leaving you should have at least told us so that we could take care of it."  
Nicholas twisted his little face. He wondered why he hadn't done that.  
"Your visions are no good to you if you don't learn to mind them.", Sally said softly.  
"But what if you tell people and they don't want to listen? Then what?", asked Nicholas. Sally smiled wistfully, visions of fog juice swirling in her head.  
"Then you just have to do what you can."  
  
  
The sun rose over jagged buildings and barren hillsides. Inside the Skellington home, the first family of Halloweentown prepared to get some sleep after a seemingly interminable night.  
"I want to roll over", Jack jr. said. He flailed his working arm and leg. Sally stilled him with a hand on his chest.   
"Stop. You need to remain still Jacky. Your bones have to set."  
The boy groaned.  
"Can you help me roll over?", he asked his father. Jack just grinned and chuckled.  
"I'll roll you over tomorrow darling when it's time to change your bandages.", Sally said with a gentle kiss.  
The child remained silent for several moments.  
"I want to tell Nicky I'm sorry. I mean for getting him into trouble and stuff."  
The king and queen exchanged knowing glances. Jack turned to their son.  
"We all need to sleep right now Jacky. When we wake up, you and your can brother talk."  
The room grew silent, curtains drawn and light banished. Sally fell asleep, her tiny hand again grasping her son's as if he might dare to vanish again. The child lay awake for a time, soaking in his pain.  
"Dad", he whispered. "I told Nicky he wasn't scary." It hurt him to repeat the words. It was one of the worst things one could say of another in this world. Jack sighed heavily, his rib cage expanding, then settling down.  
"Your brother is scary Jacky, in his own way. Even if he were not, everyone has their strengths. I trust you understand that now, although I do wish you didn't have to have everything proven to you so dramatically." Jack laughed lightly once more. He removed his nightcap and placed it playfully on his son's skull. The Pumpkin King then closed his eye sockets to sleep.  
  
END  
  
  
  



End file.
